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  • Environment
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El Niño 'Takes A Break'

  •  Ed Joyce 
Friday, February 5, 2016 | Sacramento, CA
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Ed Joyce / Capital Public Radio

In early April 2015, the mountains around Donner Summit near Truckee, Calif. were mostly bare. So far in 2016, frequent storms have helped build up the snowpack after four years of drought.

Ed Joyce / Capital Public Radio

El Niño, which helped increase precipitation in California last month, is taking a break.
 
January brought heavy precipitation to California.
 
But forecasters say the next 7-to-10 days will be drier and warmer.
 
020416 NINONO.jpg
The water content in the Sierra snowpack currently ranges from 110 to 150 percent on average.
 
The U.S. Drought Monitor says "exceptional drought" was reduced slightly in just one area of the northern Sierra this week: El Dorado County.
 
It's not that the storms aren't making a difference.
 
The Drought Center says it will take another week to assess "the impacts all the moisture will have on long-term drought, soil moisture and groundwater," among other hydrological considerations. 
 
The weekly report says even though "El Niño-related precipitation has been bountiful so far this winter, the drought situation in California remains very serious." 
020416 610temp_new.jpg
020416 610prcp_new.jpg

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Ed Joyce

Former All Things Considered Anchor & Reporter

Ed Joyce is a former reporter and All Things Considered news anchor at Capital Public Radio. Ed is a veteran journalist with experience in a variety of news positions across all media platforms, including radio, television, web and print.   Read Full Bio 

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